Be it known that we, WILLIs 0. GRANT and LEWIS 0. GRANT, citizens of the United States, residing at VVilloughby, in the county of Lake and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in WVire Fences; and we do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as'will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

Our invention relates to an improved form of woven-wire fence, and more particularly to that class in which the crimped stay-wires are secured to the crimped running Wires by means of a staple which encompasses them and has its free ends twisted about the running wire; and the object is to provide a simple, inexpensive, strong, and durable fence of this character.

To this end the invention consists in the construction, combination, and arrangement of the device, as will be herein more fully described, and particularly pointed out in the claim.

In the accompanying drawings, the same reference characters indicate thesame parts of the invention.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a section of our improved woven-wire fence. Fig. 2 is an enlarged detail of one of the staples used in connecting the horizontal and the stay wires. Fig. 3 is a similar View showing the manner of applying the staple to the fencewires. Fig. 4 is a similar view showing the first step in twisting the free ends of the staple. Fig. 5 shows the second step in twisting the staple and which completes the operation of forming the joint between the fence and stay wires or pickets.

1 denotes the horizontal fence-wires, which are formed with a series of crimps or kinks 2 2 at suitable intervals corresponding to the distance at which the stay-wires or pickets 3 3 are to be placed. These stay-wires are also corrugated, as shown, to form a regular series of crimps 4 4, extending on one side and a corresponding series of alternate crimps 5 5 on the opposite side of the wire and in the same plane with the crimps 4 4.

6 denotes the staple, and it is formed with a looped end 7, terminating in parallel arms Serial No. 694,687. (No model.)

8 8, the looped end 7 being formed at an acute angle to the plane of the parallel arms, so that when the loop 7 is passed over the fencewire 1 and astride and in front of the staywire 3 the parallel arms 8 8 of the staple will project forward under the fence-wire and astride of the stay-wire a suflicient distance, as shown in Fig. 8, to permit their ends to be grasped, crossed, and twisted, as shown in Fig. 4. lVhen the staple is twisted into the form shown in the latter figure, it practically forms a four-sided staple, as it has a loop at the top and bottom and also at the two sides, each one of which acts as a single staple in binding effect.

It will be noted in assembling the fence and stay-wires that a crimp 4 on one staywire is alined with a crimp 2 on the fencewire. This brings the crimps 5 5 on the opposite-side of the stay-wire above and below the crimp 4 on the fence-wire, as shown, thus making a lock-joint in itself between the fence and stay wires, and thereby preventing longitudinal movement of either fence or stay wire in either direction, and after the staple has been twisted, as shown in Fig. 4,

the separation. or movement of the wires in any direction is rendered impossible, thus making an absolutely stationary look at each joint. The free ends of the staple which project after the first twist is made, as shownin Fig. 4, are now separated and passed upward and over the fence-wire on each side of the stay and their immediate ends secured by turning them around the fence. a smooth or barbless point at a on the staple, and this prevents injury to the stock should they rub against it. This we consider a val uable feature, as heretofore the ends of the staple or other tie-wire have been allowed to project and were highly objectionable, as above noted.

Although we have specifically described the construction and relative arrangement of the several elements of our invention, we do not desire to be confined to the same, as such changes or modifications may be made as clearly fall within the scope of our invention without departing from the spirit thereof.

Having thus fully described our invention, what we claim as new and useful, and desire This leaves to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is-

In a wire fence of the character described, the combination with a series of crimped running wires, and a series of crimped staywires, of a series of staples encompassing the opposite sides of the running and stay wires and having their central portions twisted about the stay-wires, and their free ends separated and extended in opposite directions and twisted about the running wires on 0pposite sides of the stay-wires, substantially as shown and described.

In testimony whereof we have hereunto set our hands in presence of two subscribing wit- 15 nesses.